


The Phony and the Famous

by MiracAlice (AliceTheBookGirl)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien drinks respect Marinette juice on the daily, But we still love them of course, F/M, Identity Reveal, Lila ain't got nowhere to go but down, Lila salt, Many characters will only have mentions or minor appearances, Marinette was near rock bottom she can only go up from here, My version of Marinette Appreciation, Post-Season/Series 03, Somewhat connected one-shots that will culminate in the end, There's gonna be, y'all just don't know when
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:14:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22949149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceTheBookGirl/pseuds/MiracAlice
Summary: Lila spreads lies about being famous with worldwide connections to increase her local popularity. She’s confident that Marinette will never be able to prove otherwise. What she, and even Marinette herself, don’t realize is that Marinette won’t have to do any of that to come out on top.-A story in which everything Lila lies about, Marinette turns into reality for herself, usually unknowingly (our girl is quite the lucky one, after all).
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 201
Kudos: 1998
Collections: Lila Anon Support Group





	1. Marinette the Muse

_“Do you know each other? Oh my, your papa's new muse is incredible! She's been all around the world, she knows all the celebrities, and she's Italian, just like me!”_

Season 3, “Ladybug” 

* * *

“Wonderful! A beautiful pair! _Magnifico!_ ” 

Adrien internally sighed as he suffered through the second photo shoot that he had to do with Lila. He had to admit Lila wasn’t too bad of a model, but her default look was that of a simpering fragile girl and with Adrien knowing the truth about her, it was a little agonizing to watch. It didn’t help that Vincent was so captivated as soon as he learned she was also Italian, as he went on and on about how amazing Lila must be. 

As soon as a short break was called, Adrien quickly jumped up and walked away before Lila could latch onto him, wanting to minimize any interaction with her as much as possible. He grimaced at remembering the time she practically threatened him into posting a photo of the two of them on Instagram. 

Shaking his head to rid himself of the memory, Adrien scanned the park to see if there was somewhere he could temporarily hide to rant to Plagg when he spotted a familiar and refreshing face. 

“Marinette!” he called out, waving to her. When she turned and saw him, she waved back before making her way over, followed by an older woman. 

As they got closer, Adrien recognized the woman as Marinette’s grandmother Gina, or as Marinette called her, _Nonna_. Now that he thought about it, that was Italian, wasn’t it? 

“Hi, Adrien,” Marinette greeted softly with a bashful smile, “aren’t you in the middle of a photo shoot right now?” She gestured to the equipment that was scattered around the area. 

“I am, but I’m on a quick break right now.” He turned to Gina. “Hello, my name is Adrien Agreste. You’re Marinette’s grandmother, right? We met briefly at Mari’s birthday party.” 

Gina held a twinkle in her eye that Adrien couldn’t quite decipher the reasoning for. 

“Ah, yes, you’re one of Marinetta’s classmates!” Before he could register what was happening, Gina reached toward him and pinched his cheek. “You’re one of my little fairy’s good friends, aren’t you? You must be quite the gentleman then. A handsome one, too!” 

Marinette’s arm flailed as she practically smacked her grandmother’s arm away, mortification on her face. “ _Nonna!_ You can’t just touch my friends like that, much less someone you barely know!” 

Rubbing his released cheek, Adrien reassured Marinette no harm was done. “As long as the makeup is still fine,” he joked. “Though a little warning next time would be great.” 

Before Marinette or Gina could answer, Vincent—trailed by Lila, who had probably been watching the interaction from afar—came over to call Adrien back from break. Lila was quick to attach herself to Adrien’s side. 

“I couldn’t help but notice you were uncomfortable with your _fans_ invading your space, Adrien,” Lila sympathized, pointedly looking at Marinette. Quite ironic, considering Lila was the one gripping his arm like a vice. Sometimes Adrien wondered if it was an automatic reaction for her now as he noticed she typically only did it when Marinette was around. 

Gina must’ve taken notice of Lila’s tone because she immediately went to defend her granddaughter. 

“I’ll have you know, little girl, that my fairy is a very respectful young lady, something that I cannot say the same about you!” 

“The angry bite in those words. That frigid stance!” Adrien heard Vincent mutter audibly. “ _Zietta!_ Is that you?” 

Everyone turned to him. 

“Auntie?” Marinette and Lila both translated confusedly. 

Gina stared at Vincent for a few seconds before she gasped. “Don’t tell me! _Vincenzo Giuseppe Russo?!”_

_“Sì, Zia Gina!_ ” Vincent replied with as much gusto as Adrien was used to seeing him exude during shoots. He said a few more things in Italian, to which Gina responded in kind just as joyfully. 

Adrien and Lila were left to watch speechlessly as Gina pulled Marinette over and presented her to Vincent. 

“Surely you remember my little fairy, Marinetta! The photo shoot we did for her when she was just a few months old was the first time ever you insisted you do your job for free. I hope you kept your promise and have always done paid projects since then.” 

Vincent looked Marinette over and nodded. “Of course! My demand for high pay the last fifteen years has led me to where I am now: top photographer of high fashion _Gabriel!_ And I recognize you, _signorina_ ,” he addressed Marinette. “I see you from time to time. Who would have thought you’d be the granddaughter of my beloved mentor from my university days? Your _nonna_ is like family to me but with all her traveling, we haven’t spoken in years.” 

Marinette, to her credit, was able to come up with some greeting. “It’s uh, nice to meet you, Monsieur Russo.” 

Vincent waved away the formality. “Nonsense. Call me Giuseppe, like Adriano does. Or better yet, _Zio Giuseppe!_ _Zietta’s_ family is my family.” 

As Marinette nodded dazedly at her newest honorary relative, Adrien felt Lila’s grip tighten on his arm as a low growl came from her. If he wasn’t busy wincing in pain, he’d be rolling his eyes. 

“Since when was _she_ Italian?” she muttered heatedly. 

Adrien knew it was rhetorical but he couldn’t help but snarkily answer, “Considering her _nonna_ is full Italian, I’d say Mari’s been a quarter since she was born.” 

He was saved from Lila’s undoubtedly acidic retort by Vincent’s loud cheer. 

“Yes, please be my muse,” he begged Marinette. “Monsieur Agreste brings in his muses all the time but as the photographer, I need my own to truly thrive in my art! I have no children of my own but you, Marinetta, are a niece I can share my knowledge and talents in the world of fashion and photography with, _bellissima!”_

Lila gasped, outraged. “He’s only ever called _me, ‘bella!’”_

Of all the languages Adrien was fluent in, he didn’t know Italian, but it didn’t take a genius to know Lila was just overshadowed by Marinette in a single word. 

_Ouch_. 

He looked over to Marinette, whose eyes were shining with interest, probably because Vincent had offered her a door to the professional fashion world. 

Gina smiled proudly and hugged Marinette tightly when the girl agreed to do an independent photo shoot with Vincent. Adrien was also happy for his friend, since Vincent was a highly sought after photographer and was well-known internationally. 

Adrien finally managed to wriggle his arm out of Lila’s grasp and just in time too. Vincent mentioned bringing up the possibility of Marinette also modelling for _Gabriel_ and Lila looked furious enough to snap someone’s bones with her bare hands. 

“--and you can always ask Adriano or Lila for some tips on how to pose,” Vincent finished by gesturing to the two teens. 

Lila hadn’t hidden her anger well enough as Marinette asked with half-sincere concern, “Is something wrong, Lila? Are you alright?” 

Adrien hid a smug grin as Lila made up some excuse for her consternation. 

When Lila’s lies were malicious and nasty enough to truly harm Marinette and get her expelled, Adrien expected that he would have to do exactly what he warned his friend against doing at the very beginning. And make no mistake, he was 110% willing to at that point. Since that first photo shoot with Lila, Adrien had been secretly planning on how to keep up the facade of friendship with the liar while digging up enough dirt to expose her. But what happened today was something far more satisfying. 

Maybe, just maybe, he thought to himself, it was due time Lila learned that her lies would take her no further. 

And if an akuma happened to appear not long after… 

Well. 

That’s what Ladybug and Chat Noir were there for. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know Italian.


	2. Marinette the Cinephile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> cin·e·phile ˈsinəˌfīl 
> 
> noun  
> 1\. a person who is fond of motion pictures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started writing a chapter based on a different lie but I wasn't satisfied with any direction I took with it, so it's sitting on the back burner for this story for now. I had a better idea for the lie that inspires this chapter so I went with it, though the writing process didn't go as quickly as it did in the first chapter. Hope it still makes for a fun read.

_“Lila knows all of the Hollywood directors. She promised she'd mention me to Steven Basielberg himself!”_

Season 1, “Volpina” 

* * *

Inside the Agreste manor, he meandered around the foyer in boredom. Once or twice, he stopped by a mirror that hung on the wall by the dining room entrance where he would mess with his blonde hair and practice his smiles. Then he’d fix himself and go back to wandering. After several minutes (what he considered to be an inappropriate length of waiting time) the door to Gabriel’s atelier opened and out stepped the man himself followed by his ever-present assistant. 

Gabriel walked over to him and folded his hands behind his back. 

“Félix. I trust your trip here from the station was without issue.” 

Only pursing his lips to show his displeasure, Félix replied just as emotionlessly, “It went fine, Uncle. I’m only saddened that I wasn’t considered important enough to be greeted as I arrived by either you or your usually impeccable assistant.” 

If Gabriel was bothered by the minor jab, he didn’t show it. “My apologies. To make it up to you, why don’t we get down to the matter of your visit. Your mother called ahead so I’ve prepared the file that you’ll need. Nathalie.” 

At her name, Nathalie stepped forward and presented Félix with a decently thick manila folder. 

Interesting. 

“Any reason why you seem to have so much information on her?” 

“Aside from her many accomplishments, she’s also a classmate of Adrien’s.” 

Félix hummed. “Right. I’m not surprised you’d investigate anyone who even looked at my cousin on a daily basis. Fine. I’ll go through this on my own. Have a good evening, Uncle.” 

With that, the two nodded to each other before Félix turned and walked up the stairs to the guest room he always stayed in. He flipped the folder open and stared at the headshot provided, a little startled that he recognized exactly who this girl was. 

“Of all the people… Of course it’d be the girl who’s got a thing for you, cousin.” 

… 

Look. Félix knew he could be a dastardly little prick. But even he had to admit that these eclairs were the best he had ever tasted, including the ones made by his family’s hired pastry chef. “Best bakery in Paris” weren’t just empty advertising words. Though he couldn’t understand how the place ran as a business when the owners took one look at him and offered the desserts for free. Maybe it was a promotional event? 

“Oh,” the small Asian lady exclaimed, “what are we doing? You must be here for Marinette and not just the food.” She laughed and piled some more pastries into a box. “Here, take these with you. Head on upstairs—you know the way. Marinette is just having lunch right now.” 

It didn’t take long for Félix to realize that the owners mistook him for his cousin. He shrugged. 

He had no dire reason to correct them and he got free delicacies as a bonus. Plus, he didn’t want to explain to anyone why exactly he had “borrowed” Adrien’s clothes again. 

Delicately stuffing a passionfruit macaron into his mouth, Félix walked through a doorway and up some flights of stairs to the highest landing. He knocked on the door twice and waited, putting a sunny smile on his face. 

When the girl swung the door open, he lifted a hand and greeted, “Hey, Marinette!” with the cheery tone Adrien typically used. 

He was unprepared to have the door slam in his face. 

He contemplated knocking again but the door creeped open a sliver before he could. Blue eyes peeked out in a glare. 

Félix huffed and dropped his act. “So. You already know who I am.” 

“What do you want, _Félix?_ ” 

“No need to be so hostile. We’ve never even met before.” 

The blue eyes rolled. “And yet my first impression of you is a shoddy impersonation of the boy who’s a better version of you.” 

Well, this girl had some bite. 

“And are you going to let my first impression of you be someone who won’t let me explain myself before you write me off?” 

Her eyes widened before narrowing again, but this time Marinette pulled the door open all the way. She stepped aside to let him through. “I’m not even surprised that someone like you would have stalkerish information like that. Unless…Adrien told you about how he met me?” 

Félix made his way to the white couch as Marinette walked to the kitchen area to plate some finger foods she had probably been having for lunch. He kept his pastry box on his lap. “Believe what you will. I’m not here to make friends.” 

Setting the plate and a glass of water down on the coffee table in front of them, Marinette took a seat adjacent to him. “Then why are you here?” 

“Business. But first, tell me how you figured me out.” 

Marinette’s response was nonchalant. “I run into a lot of akumas and sentimonsters that pretend to be other people. I guess I’ve gotten good at spotting fakes.” 

“Oh, so it has nothing to do with how you’re obsessively in love with my cousin.” 

“Wha—?! I—you, I mean! No! I mean, I’m not _obsessively_ in love—who even _told_ you something like that—it has nothing to do with knowing imposters—!” 

“As a matter of fact, how did looking at me as I am,” he gestured to all of himself, indicating that he looked like a perfect replica of Adrien, “not make you act like this earlier?” 

Red-faced, Marinette crossed her arms angrily. “Like I said, I’ve learned to see the signs. It has nothing to do with how well I know Adrien.” 

Félix leaned back and gave a patronizing smile. Marinette just eyed him suspiciously. 

“Fine,” he relented, “I’ll take your word for it. But that means you’ve got quite the eye for detail, don’t you?” He picked up a finger sandwich and took a bite, humming at the flavor. 

Not taking her eyes off him, Marinette shrugged. “I guess. I would have to if I want to be a good designer.” 

“Which you are.” 

“How would you know?” 

“Let’s just say I’ve been looking out for particular talents and someone recommended you to me, so I thought I’d check you out.” 

Marinette’s face pinched. 

“Not the kind of checking out I meant, but I confess you’re very easy on the eyes.” His eyes roamed down her body. 

She crossed her arms. “You’re a pig.” 

Félix lazily raised his hands in defense. “Hey now, do you really want to insult the person who wants to hire you?” 

“The way this is going, I don’t know if I want to accept whatever job you have in mind.” 

He shook his head, deciding to just get to the point. “Okay, look. You may or may not have heard of Graham Films. It’s a film studio owned by my family and currently run by my mother. Once in a while, the company produces big hit films but most of the time we produce the highest quality films that are only distributed among exclusive circles. Despite that, Graham Films is the one studio with the most connections throughout the entertainment industry, not that it’s publicly known. And lucky you. My mother put me in charge of finding young but intelligent designers for our next film and I’ve chosen you as our costumes person.” 

“No, thanks.” 

“I can bring the paperwork over tomorrow—I’m sorry, what did you say?” It wasn’t every day that Félix was taken aback like he was then. 

Marinette stood and placed her hands on her hips. “Oh, so are you also unable to understand when a girl tells you no? Maybe it’s time you leave.” She began to usher the boy up and out. 

“W-wait, why would you refuse my offer? It’s a golden opportunity for you!” 

Pausing for second, Marinette raised an eyebrow at him. “So?” 

“I…honestly don’t understand.” 

“Hmph. Figures. Okay, I’ll explain it to you. You,” she addressed him with a poke to the chest, “obviously have little respect for women and at the same time don’t see a problem with it. And you want me to practically work for you in a company owned by _your_ family. That’s the perfect recipe for workplace harassment.” 

“Ha- _harassment?!_ ” Félix was truly gobsmacked at this point. “I haven’t tried to touch you or anything! And what’s a few comments if you have the chance to connect your name to the biggest in the film industry?” 

By then, Félix had been pushed all the way out the door. Marinette’s hand turned white from the grip she had on the doorframe. 

“If you still don’t get it, _goodbye._ ” 

And the door slammed in his face once again. 

… 

Félix was irritated. 

He stood in his normal attire on the sidewalk in front of the school his cousin attended, his arms crossed and his expression tight. 

If it were up to him, he would already be on a train home, having chosen a different candidate for the movie’s design team—someone who _accepted_ his generous offer! But nooo… 

_“We can’t let Gabriel swoop back in and keep her talents for himself, Félix! It’s already a miracle that he even gave you her name.”_

…his mother insisted he keep trying to recruit the girl, if not for her abilities, then for the chance to rub it in his uncle’s face. 

A cacophony of voices rose up from the school as the doors opened and students came pouring out. He watched from afar as his cousin walked down the steps with just the girl Félix was looking for. He scoffed at Adrien’s sunny disposition and the way Marinette giggled at something he said. Losers. 

Their joyous attitudes dampened considerably as they drew near and finally noticed Félix. 

“Félix? Is something wrong?” 

“Nothing that concerns you, Adrien,” he dismissed, though not unkindly. He nodded in Marinette’s direction. “I’m here for her.” 

“Oh! You know Marinette…?” 

Both boys were met with an icy blue gaze and downturned lips. 

“No.” 

Félix pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. 

“Will you let me explain?” 

She turned her nose up defiantly. “Depends. Will you respect my boundaries and treat me with some decency?” 

Great. Now his dear cousin was frowning at him. 

“Félix, did you do something to Marinette?” 

“I’ve done nothing.” 

“Yeah, nothing but be a sleazebag.” 

_“Félix.”_

Before he could say anything to defend himself, someone practically bodied themselves into Adrien and latched onto his arm. At first Félix thought it was Chloé, who was prone to doing that, but was surprised it was some girl he had never seen before. Based on Adrien’s decently disguised grimace, Félix could tell this person’s actions were unwarranted. 

“Oh, Adrien, is this your twin brother? I couldn’t wait to meet him considering you and I have been modeling together!” The girl batted her eyes at them, but Félix wasn’t sure if it was mainly aimed towards Adrien or himself. 

Marinette made a noise of disgust. “Funny. You’d think that after modeling so much with Adrien,” she mockingly repeated, “that you’d remember he’s an only child, Lila. This is actually his cousin Félix.” 

The girl, Lila, gasped and put a hand to her mouth. “I’m so sorry! My short term memory loss is probably acting up again from the concussion I got last week.” She bashfully met Félix’s gaze. “I was volunteering with the youth homeless organization that I co-founded with the Prime Minister of France when I saw a child fall out of a tree. I ran over to catch her when I got hit by a…” 

Félix quickly lost interest in what she was saying. He didn’t care for his cousin’s do gooder friends, especially if all they could offer was modelling experience. He was here for a _designer_ after all. Uncle Gabriel could keep this chatterbox for all he cared. 

Once Lila ended her story with an expectant and pitiful look, Félix turned back to Marinette, who wasn’t even hiding her look of derision at the girl. 

“So what will it take for you to change your mind and take the job? An apology?” 

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Lila glare at the other girl. But he definitely saw Adrien wince in pain. 

Marinette quickly went back to frowning at him. “It would be a start.” 

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Félix was about to retort when he was interrupted by Lila. 

“You’ll have to forgive Marinette. She’s obviously overwhelmed by having the chance to work with someone as high profile as Adrien’s relative. She has trouble with words when she’s excited. It’s not very professional, is it?” Lila shook her head sadly. 

“Lila,” Adrien cut in with an unexpectedly sharp tone, “this conversation doesn’t have anything to do with us. I think it’s best we keep quiet.” 

“My cousin is right. Don’t be a nuisance.” 

It was shocking to Félix that Adrien didn’t immediately tell him off for insulting his friend. 

_Or is she not a friend at all?_

Taking a more careful look at the pair, Félix realized that maybe not all of Adrien’s classmates were sickeningly kind and naive. Perhaps some of them were leeches. 

“Anyway,” he turned back to Marinette, “I will apologize then. It was wrong of me to objectify you as I did and to belittle you in your own home of all places. I’ve seen the work you’ve done and I would genuinely still like to offer the position previously discussed to you. Besides,” he added reluctantly, “I was only put in charge of hiring the team. My mother is the head producer of the film. Once the contracts are all signed I will no longer have a role in the production, which means I won’t be your superior. Will any of that make you reconsider?” 

To Félix’s relief, Marinette did seem to seriously think it over. Meanwhile Adrien looked as excited for his friend as Lila looked irked. Good. 

Félix had no idea what her problem was but she had been a pain since she first inserted herself into the conversation. 

“Okay.” 

Marinette’s voice broke him out of his thoughts. 

“I’ll do it.” 

Félix gave Marinette a smile—a business smile, but a sincere one nonetheless—and stuck out a hand for her to shake. 

“Welcome to the Hollywood of France.” 

_“Hollywood?!”_

Lila’s screech echoed down the street. 

… 

Bonus: 

“So what was up with that bothersome girl—“ 

“What did you do to Marinette?” 

From his seat on Adrien’s couch, Félix was startled into dropping the deck of cards he was using to show Adrien a trick. He sent the other boy an exasperated glare. 

“What’s it to you? I’ve already apologized. No need to make more of a fuss.” 

Despite the attempt at reassurance, Adrien still looked bothered. Félix rolled his eyes. 

“I said she was quite a sight for my eyes,” he answered exasperatedly. “Not that she appreciated the compliment, but I wasn’t just saying that to fluster her. She’s got a nice pair of—whoa!” Félix quickly threw up an arm to block the sudden fist that flew at him. 

“What’s your problem?!” 

“What’s _your_ problem with always objectifying women? And someone as amazing as Marinette who doesn’t deserve that terrible behavior!” 

Pushing his cousin off of him, Félix retorted, “Why so physical? Sure, you always tell me off for being ‘sexist’ but why are you so angry that it’s the designer girl?” He paused. “Don’t tell me…you actually accepted her confession?” 

Adrien finally backed away. “What? No, Marinette doesn’t like me like that. She’s my friend. Anyway, that’s not the point. Just stop being a pretentious prick and treat women with respect for once.” 

Félix rolled his eyes and muttered a “Whatever” before gathering his cards back up. No way was he going to change just because Adrien thought he could order him around, but he guessed he could restrain himself from saying anything of the sort to Marinette. 

Rubbing his jaw from a pain from the past, Félix suspected Marinette was the type to punch people in the face if they breached her space. 

He wasn’t eager for a repeat of that any time soon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Legs. He was going to say a nice pair of legs.


	3. Marinette the Reptile Wrangler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This reads like one of the author's fever dreams. Think "Metamorphosis" (Franz Kafka).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the chapter I mentioned that I was struggling with. I've agonized over this chapter for so long and I'm still not satisfied with how it came out. This is actually my least favorite of all the chapters I have planned but I think it'll do in the scheme of things. 
> 
> Side note: I hope to finish this whole story by end of April, which is how long school closures are expected to be, thanks to the coronavirus panic. I may not be in school but all my siblings are and we live smack dab in the middle of Seattle, Washington. Our household is still clear of any concerning symptoms but as extra precaution I, as an unemployed person, have no pressing reason to go out and will be stuck at home for the foreseeable future. Thus, I shall continue to write (and apply for what meager jobs are left).

_“Yes, I suffer from tinnitus, a constant ringing in my left ear. I've had it ever since the sound of an airplane engine burst my eardrum on the runway when I was saving Jagged Stone's lost kitten.”_

Season 3, “Chameleon” 

* * *

Fang was a simple creature. 

He was hatched straight into the hands of the human he now called his owner and raised among those who often cowered from him. Very rarely did a human try to test Fang’s temper, so he grew up rather tame. His owner fed him well and presented him with many interesting gifts, most of which were quickly chewed through within days, if not hours. When Fang was not feeding or playing (or taking delightful baths), he would walk with and rest near and carefully watch his owner, for Jagged was a human worth Fang’s avid attention. 

He could see when his owner was happy and content. It happened most when Jagged’s frequent companion—that human with the clipboard in her hands and the phone to hear ear, “Penny” she was called—would smile at him. It was even easier to tell when his owner was irritated and upset. Such moments were less frequent but still happened once or twice a week. Fang was now very accustomed to emitting a loud hiss on sight of the annoying man with the sunglasses and clanky jewelry. 

And so Fang had his routine. Eat, play with his owner, sleep, growl happily at Jagged and his friends, hiss at the rabble, lounge in the bath, repeat (some steps more often than others). 

Sure, Fang was unusual for a crocodile, but he was still a simple creature. 

… 

There was one girl who Fang recently began to see often. She was one of the few he was happy to ask for pets from, considering his owner always shouted happily when he saw her. 

His owner called the girl “Marinette” or something of the like, but Fang thought her name should be Treats because she typically brought a box of cookies with her on her visits. Normally Fang wouldn’t care for human foods, but ever since the girl began bringing a variety of meaty snacks for Fang along with the cookies, the crocodile learned to become just as excited by her presence as his owner. 

She was also very kind to Fang. Sure, she was reluctant to approach him at first as most humans do, but Fang understood that was how humans protected themselves. It proved she was a cautious one, yet also a brave and understanding one when Fang noticed that over time she became more comfortable with him, allowing him to nuzzle against her legs and growl in joy before climbing atop some furniture to beg for treats. 

So one day, it was with little fuss that Fang allowed himself to be led out of the usual hotel by Treats. As a crocodile, he understood just enough that he would be in her care for the day. 

Together, they walked down the streets of Paris. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and nearby humans consistently gave them a wide berth on the sidewalk with horror on their faces. Just how Fang liked it. 

He prided himself on being able to keep the massive crowds away from his owner when they traveled around the world. Under Fang’s watch, not once did a “rabid fan” lay their hands on even the hair from his owner’s head. 

Well…except for that one time one of those “fans” managed to zap Fang with a bright light, thus sending the crocodile to some empty white place. 

But that was neither here nor there. 

Treats was watching Fang for the day, yes, but that also meant Fang would watch out for her. 

“Wow, Marinette! You weren’t kidding when you said you were pet-sitting a crocodile today!” 

And there it was. The first test. 

As soon as the two of them entered a park through its gated entrance, a tall boy came running at them, followed by a few others. Fang was quick to intercept as he maneuvered himself in front of Treats and snapped his jaw in the air once. The boy instantly recoiled. 

“Whoa!” 

“Sorry, Kim! Fang doesn’t like it when strangers come too close.” 

“Unsurprising. Crocodiles tend to get aggressive when their space is invaded and considering their large size, that space can span a couple meters radius from their body. I can’t quite tell if Fang is of the freshwater or saltwater variety, but I can tell you that 95% of attacks on humans are caused by provocation no matter what species the crocodile is.” 

“That’s a pretty good explanation. Thank you, Max,” Treats said as she bent down to pat Fang’s head. “Fang is just really protective of his owner and it extends to other people he likes. It takes some time for him to know a person so best to keep your distance for today.” 

The first boy slumped. “Aw, man.” 

Fang turned his snout away. That was the human’s problem. No way was Fang going to let his guard down just from some pitiful look. 

By then, more young humans had gathered around but stayed far away, much to Fang’s satisfaction. They seemed to be friends with Treats, judging by her easy smile as she conversed with them, so he figured he’d keep his hissing to a minimum. 

The afternoon passed peacefully in the park. Treats’ friends came and went without bothering Fang much as he lounged in a sunpatch. 

He kept a watchful eye on one boy, though, who seemed a little _too_ familiar with the girl. When the boy placed a hand on her shoulder, Fang let out a quiet warning hiss only to be met by a short hiss from the boy himself. It was oddly high for a human and the others didn’t seem to hear. Fang retaliated by crawling over and draping himself over Treats’ lap. 

She let out an indignant squawk but Fang ignored it, reptilian eyes focused on the boy who had smartly moved away when Fang had approached. All the boy could do then was narrow his eyes at the crocodile momentarily before his face smoothed over and he went back to smiling at Treats. 

If his cold-blooded body had allowed it, Fang would have scoffed. 

Crocodiles may be simple creatures. But cats were even more so. 

… 

At some point, Fang became hungry. 

He plodded a circle around Treats, who by then had moved to sitting on a bench as she struck up conversation with more friends. He rumbled and groaned for attention, which she was quick to give, and he delicately snapped his jaws at her to indicate his hunger. 

“Oh, no! That alligator is about to eat Marinette!” came a shrieking from the distance. 

Fang’s jaws clamped shut as he was quick to look for said alligator so he could fight it. Maybe he could make a meal out of it because such a scuffle would take a lot of him. 

He was ignorant to the random screaming that erupted from all around the park while Treats’ friends spread out to try and calm people. Fang huffed. 

Seriously, how was he supposed to find the alligator with all the chaos? 

He turned back to Treats to see her glaring at another human girl. Ah, this must be another test. Perhaps the girl cried alligator as a ruse to distract Fang. 

“No, really!” the girl continued. “I’ve seen rabid reptiles before and this one just isn’t safe! They latch onto one prey and they’ll keep on chasing no matter what you do! We have to get Marinette away from that alligator!” 

Humans around the park hadn’t stopped running every which way while Treats’ friends looked on uncertainly. It confused Fang, because he still did not know what alligator the girl was screaming about. So he simply plodded closer to Treats and nuzzled her leg, hoping she would clear things up for him. 

She must’ve understood crocodile language because thankfully her next words cleared things up for everyone. 

“Lila!” Treats shouted reproachfully. “You need to be quiet for five seconds so I can explain to you _and everyone else in this park_ that it’s all a misunderstanding. I am absolutely safe right where I am!” Her expression reminded Fang of when Penny would stand up eerily straight with a glare and somehow tower over his owner despite being much shorter. Needless to say, the posture and tone got the girl to shut up just as quick as Jagged would. 

Treats marched over to this “Lila” and Fang was quick to follow. At least until Treats turned back to him and kindly motioned him to stay. Fang was a good crocodile so he did as he was told. The friends kept their distance. 

“Now listen here, Lila,” she started off quietly once she stood just a meter away from the girl. “I need you to remain calm because panic from you and panic from everyone else is not going to solve anything. Fang is a completely tame _crocodile_ and though he might look threatening, he knows better than to attack anyone. In fact he’s lived with humans his entire life.” 

Fang nodded in satisfaction. He understood now that the girl thought _he_ was the alligator. How silly. But an unfortunately common mistake. 

The other humans seemed to share the same sentiment. Many of them nodded and smiled in relief. The Lila girl however, notably did not look reassured. If anything, she looked about ready to burst into tears. 

“But Marinette! I thought you knew that I’m deathly afraid of crocodiles. I was traumatized as a child when I had to save baby flamingos from a herd of them in Africa!” And then she covered her eyes with her hands and actually started to cry. “How could you ignore that and do this to me!” she wailed. 

Okay, Fang felt kind of bad at this point. He was sure Treats would never purposefully scare someone but he didn’t want to stick around any longer if a human was so terrified of him. 

A few of Treats’ friends rushed over to the crying girl and tried to comfort her but they also defended Treats. 

“I’m sure Marinette didn’t mean any harm!” 

“Yeah, she didn’t even know most of us would be at the park today.” 

“Come on, Lila, maybe we should get you home?” 

Treats herself took a step back to let the others surround Lila. She held a frown on her face but said, “If Lila needs some time to calm down then Fang and I will head out first. Better to take away the cause of her trauma immediately, right? Besides, it’s about time we get him back to Jagged anyway.” 

Some heads perked up at that. 

The cat-boy from earlier, who stood apart from the crowd (and noticeably much closer to Treats) had a little glint in his eye. “That’s right! Fang is Jagged Stone’s beloved pet crocodile. Pretty neat that you were the first person he thought of to pet-sit for him. He must trust you a lot.” 

Lila had been taken to sit at a far off bench by then, but Fang’s crocodile senses allowed him to hear that her sobbing had stopped and surprisingly a low growl had replaced it. One glance at her and he could spot the fury and shock in her eyes, unseen by anyone else. 

If Fang had eyebrows he’d have raised them so high up. He settled for a confused hiss. 

He really wished humans were simpler creatures. 

Most of Treats’ friends wandered back to them after seeing that Lila had calmed down considerably and they excitedly began to ask Treats questions about Fang’s owner. 

She just raised her hands up placatingly and shook her head, insisting that she get Fang back to the hotel to avoid any other mishaps. It made Fang a little sad to go back indoors so soon, but he didn’t put up a fuss. He just waited patiently as Treats finally turned around to walk over to him. 

However, as soon as she looked in Fang’s direction, Treats’ eyes widened and she screamed his name. Almost too fast for his eyes to follow, she sprinted towards him before scooping his entire body into her arms and lifting him above her head. 

Nobody moved for several seconds as a large runaway food cart went speeding through the exact spot Fang had been in. 

The cart crashed into a nearby tree and a man—probably the owner—rushed by in distress, a constant stream of apologies spilling out of his mouth. 

Fang felt himself being lowered to the ground. When he turned to look at Treats, he saw that everyone looked as gobsmacked as he felt, even the heroic girl herself. 

“Holy kwami,” Fang barely heard cat-boy say under his breath. The sound of his whisper seemed to break the group out of their trance. 

“DC, that was insane!” shouted the tall boy from before. “You just _deadlifted_ a massive beast! Max, how heavy was that?!” 

“U-uh, let’s see. Based on Fang’s size, he could be anywhere from 80 to 85 kg (approx. 175-188 lbs).” 

“She reacted so fast I didn’t even see her move!” 

“My girl’s always been on another level. Guess I didn’t realize how much until now.” 

“Marinette saved Fang’s life! Ooh, we’ve got to post this!” 

While her friends continued to chatter in amazement among themselves, Treats didn’t even notice them. She merely stared at Fang in relief before she patted him on the head. He looked up at her in question. 

“I’m glad you’re alright,” she sighed and slumped forward. “That was way too close.” 

Fang was sure he could have handled it just fine, but was thankful nonetheless. He showed his gratitude by giving a low grumble and nuzzling her hand. 

Soon the other humans finally calmed down, allowing Treats and Fang to leave the park. Treats herself seemed paranoid on the walk back, looking every which way to make sure danger didn’t come flying at them again. Meanwhile Fang made sure she didn’t accidentally walk into a busy road or run into objects. 

They met with Jagged and Penny back in the hotel suite and were immediately brought into a group hug by the man. 

“Marinette, your rock n’ roll heroic deed went viral and it’s all anyone’s been talking about for the past hour. I may have written a song about Ladybug and Chat Noir but I think I’m gonna dedicate it to everyday heroes like you, next time I perform it!” 

The girl stuttered out some response while his owner kept shouting happily about this and that. Fang ignored it and ambled over to the couch to take a nap, something he felt he earned after such an exciting day. 

He was a simple creature after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: crocodiles cannot contract rabies.


	4. Marinette the Conservationist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not to be confused with "conversationalist," though I guess she can be that too. 
> 
> Here's some unexpected #marichat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I don’t reply very often but thank you so much to everyone who commented and validated the last chapter. I have had boosted confidence in my writing since then, which might explain why this chapter is so dang long compared to the others. Really, it's a lot more words than I planned on using. (However, I anticipate the next one will be much shorter, closer to the length of the first or second chapter.) 
> 
> Please, enjoy this mess.

_ “During our world travels, my diplomat parents have helped me convince the leaders of several nations to agree to reduce world pollution. And I’m very optimistic that the prince will jump on board.” _

Season 2, “Catalyst (Heroes’ Day - Part 1)” 

* * *

“So,” Otis Césaire began, “let me get this straight.” He steepled his fingers together and pointed them to the teens before him. “Le Parc des Félins, the zoological park for wild cats, reached out to the two of you about hosting a fundraiser.” 

“Actually, they reached out to just me. Y’know, being the  _ cat _ hero and all. But then I reached out to Marinette because I thought it’d be great publicity since she saved Jagged Stone’s crocodile last week. She was trending for several days!” 

Otis stared at Chat Noir, who kept grinning expectantly. 

Marinette awkwardly smiled from beside him. 

“Does Alya know you’re here?” he asked. 

Her smile turned into a grimace. “Not yet. I figured we’d get official approval from you—since you work at the Parc Zoologique de Paris—and the zoologists from the Parc des Félins first. Alya gets a bit excitable when it comes to the heroes and I didn’t want her to make any false announcements on her blog by accident.” 

Otis chuckled. “That sounds like my daughter alright. Okay, I’ll bite. Sounds like an interesting endeavor for both parks but why are the two of you planning this instead of an actual marketing person from Parc des Félins? Or any sort of event planner?” 

“Hey now, Mari’s done event planning before!” Chat Noir admonished the man. “Besides, you're never too young to become a philanthropist.” 

Marinette rolled her eyes. “What he means to say is, the fundraiser is going to be our own little project even though the Park des Félins reached out to him first. They were reaching out to see if Chat would want to do something like this. But he’s being overzealous about it and wanted to organize something right away. He came to me saying he wanted my input since I’m such an ‘animal lover sensation’ right now but I know he just needed someone who actually knew how to put an event together.” 

“Give your partner some credit, Mari. You wound me.” 

Before Marinette could reply and probably send the teens off on a tangent, Otis cleared his throat to bring their attention back. 

“I’m all for it. But,” he added before the two could thank him, “where will the funds for hosting this event come from? This zoo has no budget set aside for something as spontaneous as this.” 

“I wasn’t kidding when I was talking about philanthropy,” Chat quipped. He pulled out a sleek black, gold-engraved checkbook from the pocket of his suit. “Gimme the numbers and I’ll jot them down.” 

Otis gave a scandalized look while Marinette gawked at him. 

“What are you doing?!” She snatched the checkbook out of his hands and attempted to cram it back into his pocket. “You’ll go revealing your identity that way, you stupid cat!” 

Chat burst out laughing. 

“Relax, relax! This is just a little pocket notebook.” He took the “checkbook” back and flipped through the pages to show them that it was merely filled with blank white paper. “I’m not  _ that _ careless. You seem a little stressed these days, Marinette. I thought a prank would cheer you up.” 

Rather than laugh, Marinette just put her face in her hands and groaned. “Not. Funny.” 

Otis just shook his head at their antics and nudged them back on track with a smile. 

By the end of the hour, agreements were made, plans were tweaked and contact info was exchanged. It amused Otis how serious the teens looked when they each shook his hand, trying to come across as formal and businesslike. 

“Come by for dinner tonight,” Otis offered to Marinette. “I’m sure Alya and the twins would love to hear about this straight from the person planning it. Ah, and you’re invited as well, Chat Noir, if you’re free.” He added the last part hastily when the hero had a badly hidden hopeful look on his face. Otis wasn’t sure what Ladybug and Chat Noir did outside of akuma-fighting hours but he should have extended the invitation regardless. 

From the way those artificial(?) ears perked up, it was the right choice. 

“I’d love to!” 

Marinette rolled her eyes fondly and accepted as well. 

… 

“Marinette! Marinette! Hide us or we’ll turn into Sapotis!” 

Otis looked up from his issue of  _ National Geographic _ to see Ella and Etta run behind Marinette as soon as the girl entered the apartment. Alya came running out of the twins’ room with an evil laugh. 

“Bwahaha! You won’t be able to become Sapotis because Lady Wifi will freeze naughty little children first!” 

“Nooooo!” the little girls laughed. They ran to the living room and over to the couch where they leaped onto Otis. 

“Save us, Daddy!” Ella cried, giggling all the while. 

“We need Animan’s powers to defeat Lady Wifi!” Etta added. 

“I’ll do my best. After all, panthers are super fast!” Otis ensued in a game of keep-away with Alya and the twins while Marinette walked to the kitchen to greet Marlena. Nora also emerged from her room at all the voices, knowing that it meant dinnertime was near. 

Once all the girls calmed down, Otis took his place at the dining table and turned to Marinette once everyone was seated. “Is our other guest not coming over after all?” 

Alya looked to her friend. “Huh? You didn’t tell me you were bringing someone.” 

“It was supposed to be a surprise. He’s coming separately but I guess he’s a little late.” Marinette shrugged. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon.” 

As if waiting for that cue, there was a rapping on the balcony’s glass door. They all turned to see— 

“Chat Noir?!” 

Alya practically tripped over herself trying to run to the door and open it hastily. “What are you doing here?” She reached into her pocket for her phone in what Otis recognized by now to be her reaction when either hero was even mentioned. 

Chat stood in the doorway and lifted a hand to the back of his head. “Well, your dad invited me to dinner and I hope I’m still welcome?” he answered sheepishly, an odd thing to see coming from the normally boisterous and confident boy. 

Alya just gaped at him, so Marinette walked over and grabbed his arm, pulling him inside and seating him right next to her. “Of course you are! C’mon, Al, let’s introduce him to everyone.” 

That shook the other girl out of her daze. “I can’t believe I’m about to have dinner with Chat Noir. The only thing that could make this better is if Ladybug were here!” 

Otis thought Marinette looked rather uncomfortable when she laughed at that. He brushed that thought away however so he could calm Alya down. 

Everyone managed to settle down again, so he began to explain the fundraiser proposal that Chat Noir and Marinette had presented to him and how he received approval from the Parc Zoologique’s director. The teens chimed in every so often between their hearty bites of food to add little details or answer the dozens of questions Ella and Etta kept throwing at them. 

“Alya, what did I say about phones at the table?” Marlena scolded. 

Alya pouted but put her phone away. “Sorry, Mom. But you can’t blame me for wanting to get video proof of Chat Noir at my dinner table.” 

Swallowing down some food, Chat Noir piped up. “You can take all the videos or photos you want later. I’ll be happy to tell you more about the fundraiser with my princess here.” 

Alya raised an eyebrow at Marinette, who looked like she was trying to melt into her chair. “‘Princess,’ huh?” 

“Don’t spoil my dinner with your gross flirting, Mr. Whiskers.”

“Nora,” Marlena lightly admonished. 

“It’s Anansi, Mom.  _ Anansi. _ ” 

“If Nora is Anansi then we’re Sapotis!” 

“Sapotis!” 

The table talk quickly devolved into several side conversations happening over each other, something Otis came to expect every evening. From the way Marinette argued with Alya about something, it seemed the girl had become used to it as well despite coming from a much smaller household. 

When he looked beside him to the cat hero however, he was surprised to see the boy looking rapidly at everyone else at the table, as if wondering which conversation to follow. 

“Not used to big family dinners, eh?” Otis asked him. 

Chat Noir looked a bit relieved to finally have his attention focused somewhere. “Uh, no, not really. I usually eat my meals alone.” 

Hearing that, Otis felt sad for the boy. He put a hand on his shoulder, hoping he could say something to cheer him up. “I bet dinners like this with your friends are quite special then.” 

Chat Noir managed a small smile. “Yeah,” he whispered. Otis didn’t miss the glance towards the girl sitting beside the hero. “They really are.” 

Hiding a knowing smile, Otis left it at that and joined in on the different conversations. He and Marinette managed to coax Chat Noir into talking more as well, and dinner ended on a high note. 

After everyone grabbed a plate of mille-feuille that Marinette brought over from the bakery, Nora, the twins and Marlena all left to do their own things so Otis and the rest of the teens could talk more about the fundraiser. 

Alya brought her phone out triumphantly, now that they all sat on the living room couches, and faced the camera to the other three. 

“Let’s just get right to it. I can edit an intro into the video later.” 

And so Alya asked her questions and Chat Noir and Marinette took turns answering, much of which was already said during dinner but Alya continued to play up her surprise every now and then. Otis only spoke when prompted since he wasn’t really used to being formal on camera. 

“So whose idea was the fundraiser anyway?” Alya asked, winding down the interview and putting her phone away. She had enough content to satisfy her audience and expressed that she wanted to continue chatting more casually. 

“Everything is Chat’s idea,” Marinette quickly responded. 

Chat Noir tutted. “True, but I put you in charge, Mari. Honestly, I don’t think I could do any of this without you.” 

While Marinette spluttered and a blush crept on her face, Otis jokingly said, “Oh, so I guess the actual zoologists are just chopped liver, eh Chat Noir?” Which just got the hero falling over himself as well trying to correct himself. Alya just cackled loudly at the other two making a mess of themselves. 

Shaking his head fondly at all of them, Otis stood up and assured Chat Noir that it was all in jest. Otis then bid them all a good night as he had to wake up early for work the next day, and told Marinette and Chat Noir that he looked forward to working with them. 

They were good kids. And Otis would do his best to make this fundraiser the greatest event the zoos have ever put together. 

… 

Otis wasn’t sure where everything went wrong. 

For the past few weeks, Marinette, Chat Noir and the small teams from the Parc Zoologique and the Parc des Félins worked tirelessly but flawlessly together to make sure this fundraiser was a success. 

Grants were approved by the city and the director of the Parc Zoologique signed off on the necessary documents to give them permission to host the event on zoo grounds. Caterers were hired, including Marinette’s own parents, so delicious food was guaranteed. Invitations went out to zoo patrons through written letters and emails and promoted through the news and all forms of social media. Marinette had gotten hold of a band—Kitty Section—to provide some ambience or to take song requests from guests. Even Chat Noir got Ladybug to agree to make a brief appearance and photo op, which was sure to rouse much interest from the greater population of Paris. (Apparently it was difficult to persuade Ladybug to attend any sort of public event for any length of time.) 

Within a week, the tickets were sold out and the waitlist was a mile long. 

Marinette had acted quickly and requested to speak with the zoo director. Next Otis heard, the director announced that the fundraiser location would expand to encompass the entire zoo from what was initially just their biggest pavilion. Temporary barriers would be erected between the walkways and the habitats so the animals’ evening routines were not interrupted. Mobile food carts from all over Paris were invited to sign up for a spot in the zoo to run their businesses in addition to the zoo’s permanent food carts and restaurants so the massive influx of guests wouldn’t go hungry. 

One after another, issues were resolved with a swiftness that Otis never thought he would see coming from a young teenager. And with such ingenious solutions too. 

By the day of the fundraiser, everyone was talking about it. Adrien Agreste, a local celebrity—and his daughter’s classmate—had been signal boosting the event through Instagram, even committing to his own attendance. According to Alya, this apparently drove his fans crazy about getting tickets themselves. Add them to fans of Chat Noir and fans of wildlife conservation, and suddenly you were a loser if you were going to be one of the few in Paris who wouldn’t even tune in to the live streaming of the event if you couldn’t be there personally (Alya’s words, not his). 

With such a large scale event, Otis expected there to be some hiccups along the way and steeled himself for when those problems arose. 

And yet. 

He couldn’t help but feel more and more disheartened when the problems kept piling up one after another. 

It started with the live stream. When the time came for the stream to begin, it was discovered that some cameras weren’t working even though they had double checked them earlier in the day during the zoo’s hours of operation. The several camera feeds with technical difficulties were spread to the far corners of the zoo and with only two IT people, the issue would not be resolved for quite some time. 

Thankfully, Marinette found a solution almost immediately by calling over a classmate of hers—Max, who was a technological genius. With Chat Noir’s superhuman capabilities, Max and the IT people were able to swiftly examine all the troublesome cameras and fix them within minutes. 

Next, a handful of volunteers that were supposed to check in with a zoo employee failed to show. The employee had come running to Marinette and Otis in a panic because some of their planned events were suddenly understaffed. Everything was already scheduled to start, so Marinette rounded up many of her classmates and delegated them equally to each portion of the zoo that needed help. They obeyed with no fuss so Marinette was able to speak to the frazzled employee one on one. Together they determined that the volunteers had all confirmed their time a week before and had been emailed the directions on how to find the zoo employee. 

Marinette suggested the employee check his phone to see if any of the volunteers contacted him and he was surprised to find that many people had gotten lost on their way into the zoo. Otis followed as they backtracked the directions from the email and discovered that some signs specifically made for the volunteers had gone missing. Chat Noir had joined them by then and was able to raise himself up above the zoo with his staff and easily spot the gaggle of lost volunteers. 

Of course the problems didn’t end there. An item from the auction had been knocked into a pot of chili. The rhinos began rampaging in their habitat. Kitty Section had somehow misplaced half of their wires and cords. 

Otis was surprised an akuma hadn’t also appeared yet. He had to hand it to the amazing team they had. If a problem didn’t have an immediate and obvious solution, Marinette was quick to produce a plan of action and no one argued with her. 

But he could see how the stress was beginning to weigh her down, how her reassuring smile became more strained by the minute. One look at Chat Noir showed that he was no different but not once did he hesitate to follow Marinette’s commands. 

It shamed Otis to see that the hero had to treat the fundraiser like a draining battle than the fun event that it was supposed to be. 

At some point, Alya took her father aside. 

“I think I know who’s behind all of this.” 

“Behind…? Surely these problems are just really bad coincidences. Who would want to sabotage a fundraiser?” 

Alya’s eyes were spitting fire. “Lila.” 

“Who is Lila?” 

Crossing her arms, Alya tried to explain as fast as she could. 

“She’s a girl in our class who has this habit of lying to make others look bad and make herself look amazing. She has it out for Marinette because she was the first one to call her out. She managed to get Marinette temporarily expelled a while back!” 

Alya ran a hand down her face aggravatedly. 

“I never even realized what a lying snake she was until recently, when she tried to claim that this fundraiser was all her idea and that Marinette had been stealing all the credit. Anyway, I’ve spotted her around some suspicious spots today and I’d bet five of my blogs that she’s the one causing this mess.” 

Otis frowned and rubbed his beard. “What a nasty person. Well, the best we can really do about her now is to catch her trying something else and then escorting her off the premises. After all, this is merely conjecture right now. I’m not outright dismissing your claims,” he quickly added when he saw his daughter about to argue. “But we have to go about this sensibly and right now, our priority is to keep the fundraiser going as smoothly as we can. If we run into this Lila girl, we can keep an eye on her to try and prevent other mishaps.” 

Alya begrudgingly agreed to do as her father said. Though she eagerly accepted the task of spreading a warning about Lila to the rest of the zoo’s employees and volunteers. 

After that, there were suspiciously no more incidents. In fact, they managed to reach their $500,000 goal through in-person donations alone, thanks in large part to Adrien Agreste’s generous $250,000 donation on behalf of his father. Many fans followed the model’s lead and nearly matched it. Then when Ladybug finally showed up, online donations skyrocketed. 

Leaving Ladybug and Chat Noir to the masses, Otis took the opportunity to look for Marinette so he could personally share the good news with her. She had gone above and beyond for a month straight and deserved to know ASAP that her hard work paid off, especially with how rocky the day started. 

On his way to the main pavilion however, Otis heard strange metallic clanking coming from the other side of one of the barriers. He noted that the sound was coming from the panther enclosure, which was a great cause for concern. 

Rounding the barrier, Otis was shocked to see a teenage girl—who matched the description his daughter had given him—attempting to unlatch the gate that separated the enclosure to the main walkways where visitors usually stood. 

“Hey!” he yelled sharply, causing the girl to jolt. “What are you doing?” 

He ran over and slammed a hand on the gate, doing a quick examination to ensure that it would remain shut. 

Otis spun back to face the girl. Lila, he recalled, was her name. 

“Well? Are you going to explain yourself?” he demanded. “You could have endangered not just yourself, but everyone else in this zoo. Not even from the panther itself, but from the massive panic this could have caused.” 

He didn’t expect the girl to collapse to her knees and begin bawling her eyes out. 

“It was all Marinette’s idea!” she cried, covering her face with her hands. “She’s blackmailing me and she said she’d expose all of my secrets if I didn’t let the animals out! Please, I didn’t know what else to do!” 

This made Otis furious. How dare this—this unrepentant  _ liar _ accuse such a genuine and hard-working girl of such nonsense? 

“Come with me,” he said, though it was without any compassion. “If Marinette is really blackmailing you, then you can tell the whole story to the police.” 

Lila’s eyes widened and she stuttered something out about Marinette corrupting the law before she got up and ran for it. 

“Hey!” 

Otis gave chase but as soon as they rounded the barrier, he lost her in the crowd. 

Just great. 

By then, Otis’s stress levels had reached an all-time high, he thought he was going to have an aneurysm. 

But all of that faded away and only anger remained when a certain voice echoed in his head. 

_ “Animan, too many humans are ignorant to the majestic power of the wild and try to use it for their own selfish gains. I’m going to give you a little extra power this time around to show people what it’s like to be a mere animal and how it feels to be so low on the food chain. In return, you will capture me Ladybug and Chat Noir’s Miraculous!”  _

“Yes, Hawkmoth.” 

… 

When Otis was back to full awareness, he found himself sitting on the ground in the middle of the pavilion and being hugged by his daughter. 

Meters away, he saw Marinette being scooped up in her own embrace by…not exactly Chat Noir…uh, what was his name again? Oh! Mister Bug! 

Mister Bug set Marinette back down on the ground but he didn’t let her go. 

“When I saw a hawk dive in and pick a hamster up off the ground I thought it was you! I couldn’t be sure but now you’re here and you’re okay…” he trailed off into quiet muttering. Marinette simply hugged him back. 

“Dad, are you okay?” 

Otis blinked and looked down at Alya, who had pulled back and looked at him in concern. 

“Oh, yes, I’m quite fine. Thanks to Ladybu—er, Mister Bug and I’m guessing Lady Noire? I just hope people weren’t too badly hurt.” 

Alya patted her dad’s shoulder. “Lady Noire never showed up but everyone’s as fine as they can be. Animan had the same powers from last time but also turned half of the fundraiser guests into tiny mammals. Thankfully no one got eaten.” 

Otis breathed a sigh of relief. 

Turning into a small animal was bad enough. No one needed the trauma of being eaten alive. 

“Are you alright?” 

Otis and Alya looked up at the red hero. Marinette stood beside him. Seeing them like that, Otis felt a little deja vu and thought the image wasn’t very strange at all. Like they fit together. He shook his head. Maybe Tom was getting in his head. He vaguely remembered one time when the man ranted to him about how Chat Noir broke his daughter’s heart but that they would have made an adorable couple if it had worked out. 

When Otis realized the teens were waiting for an answer, he stood and responded, “Never been better. This old man’s still got a lotta kick in him. How else will I keep up with the monkeys and lions?” 

Marinette and Mister Bug sighed in relief while Alya chuckled. 

“Well, now that that’s over with, we can get back to the fundraiser if people still want to be here.” Marinette looked around at all the guests who were wandering around finding family and friends—a typical post-akuma sight. 

“Why don’t you check what people are saying online?” Mister Bug suggested. He stepped away. “Meanwhile, I’ve gotta find Ladybug and give her Miraculous back.” 

As soon as he left, Marinette shuffled her feet. “Oh, phew! That was a wild battle!” she exclaimed. “I suddenly really have to pee!” And off she ran. 

“Does she act like that often?” 

Alya pulled out her phone and did as Mister Bug said. “Run off while shouting some weird excuse? Yeah, it’s like a daily ritual.” 

Thinking it best to ignore it, Otis looked around at the milling guests while Alya relayed online reactions to him. Apparently, more people had tuned in to the live stream during the akuma attack to watch the action in real time and had begun donating again after the defeat. Many expressed the hope that the fundraiser continued, and by the look of things at the zoo, Otis believed that it wouldn’t be much trouble to continue where everything left off. 

Minutes later, Marinette and Chat Noir both came running back and Otis shared his thoughts. 

“Are you sure?” Marinette asked. “Something made you upset enough to get akumatized and we don’t want you to be forced to feel that way again. We’ve far surpassed our fundraising goal so we can end the night here.” 

Otis shook his head. “I’m positive. There’s no reason to shut everything down now when everyone is still eager to see what else we have in store. Besides, the event should run smoothly all the way to the end as long as we find that lying brat and keep her off the premises.” 

The other three looked surprised. 

“Lila? You ran into her?” Alya asked, looking ready to run off and find the girl herself. 

“Heh.” 

They all looked to Chat Noir and he gave them a mischievous grin. 

“I don’t think we’ll be having any more problems with her today.” 

“What do you mean, Chat?” 

“Well, Princess, near the end of the battle I  _ spotted _ a certain opossum getting flung into the penguin habitat. Perhaps we should check there for suspicious characters and get en- _ closure _ .” 

The girls eyed each other for a moment before they sped off in the direction of the penguins. 

Otis chuckled and followed at a more leisure pace, checking in with employees along the way with Chat Noir. 

Fifteen minutes later and a soaking wet Lila Rossi was being escorted to a medical tent to change into dry clothes and then warm up for the rest of the evening under the watchful eye of a nurse. Meanwhile the fundraiser festivities continued. 

… 

The next day, it was announced to all of Paris that Marinette and Chat Noir’s joint zoo fundraiser raised over $5 million because the majority of the city’s population had donated. The most notable donors were the Agreste family, the Tsurugi family, Jagged Stone and the Bourgeois family, with their donations totalling just a little over $2 million alone. 

#MariNature trended for a whole week. 

To Marinette’s (and Adrien’s) embarrassment, #marichat and #maribug were still being used a month later. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry you guys didn't get to see Hamsternette.


	5. Marinette the Endorser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was a summary for this chapter but the author somehow lost it in the two-and-a-half months since she last updated. All she remembers is that people get a little excited when they meet THE Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think we've all noticed that I'm a little late with this chapter. We can all thank my baby sister who so kindly called me out by commenting on the last chapter to kick my ass into gear. But hey, it happens to the best of us. I revisited an old fandom (like 'forty freaking years old' old), then I binged Steven Universe, then I got really into Animal Crossing, and THEN I rewatched a lot of my favorite ATLA episodes when it came out on Netflix which led me to reading fanfiction for it. So yeah, I got...sidetracked. 
> 
> Anyway, this chapter was always meant to be kinda short. Next one will probably be waaay longer.

_ A brief explanation: The last chapter was a bit confusing as to how Mister Bug appeared. When people turned into animals, all their clothing and accessories were left behind. When Marinette turned into a hamster her earrings fell off, so Tikki took them to Chat. Adrien switched out his Miraculous since it’s still unknown if something happens by wearing both the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous (not sure if Gamer 2.0 counts). After the fight he switched back and Tikki returned the earrings to Marinette.  _

* * *

_ “I'm good friends with the best manga publisher in Japan, you know. I can talk to them about your comic book project if you like.” _

Season 3, “Ladybug” 

* * *

“Name?” 

“Oh! Uh, Astruc, Thomas.” 

The girl hummed thoughtfully as she shuffled through the festival passes on the table. “That name sounds familiar. Did you work on a recent film or something?” 

“Yes, actually! I was the director of  _ The Adventures of Lady _ —” 

“Here it is!” the girl exclaimed, pulling out the lanyard pass from the stack and adding some pamphlets to her hand. “Keep your pass on you at all times. The first pamphlet will provide you with a general map of the Champs-Élysées. The area is split up by genre and your second pamphlet will tell you which film categories will be playing on which day. If you have any questions just ask a volunteer. Welcome to the Young Artists Film Festival!” 

With that, Thomas Astruc was ushered along to allow the next person to check in. 

He was a little put out that he was yet again dismissed despite his role in the production of a movie that was widely popular in France. But what could he do besides shake his head and accept it? He could brag all he wanted about it but unless he made as big a name as Steven Basielberg, people would simply continue to shrug and dismiss him. 

Rather than spoil his mood with such thoughts, Thomas figured he’d keep a low profile and just enjoy the festivities. It always intrigued him to see what new edgy or comedic or introspective pieces the young minds of France could create. So he spent an hour watching several animated shorts created by students and noted interesting stylistic choices and the most popular narratives. He debated going to see one of the feature length films that were highlighted for the day when he heard someone excitedly call out his name. 

“Oh my gosh, Monsieur Astruc! Monsieur Astruc!” 

He turned and saw a pigtailed teenage girl wave and run up to him, followed by—he blinked owlishly— _ Adrien Agreste _ , who had another girl latched to his arm. He looked back at the girl who called to him. 

“You look a bit familiar to me. Have we met before?” 

The girl didn’t seem bothered by his question. “It was only briefly, but we met at the Ladybug and Chat Noir movie premiere a few months back. I was the person you gave up your seat to. I’m still so thankful that you did that for me! Aside from the akuma—no offense—and a couple other people…the premiere was actually kind of fun.” 

The other two teens finally reached them. The girl on Adrien’s arm gave a small gasp. 

“Oh, Marinette, you were at the Ladybug movie premiere? I heard you went as one of the waitresses. I would have been there too, but I told the movie director that I had another movie project lined up. You see, being Ladybug’s best friend, I had a big say in how the heroes in the movie were portrayed so they could be as accurate as possible.” 

The other three stood silent for a moment. One in confusion and the other two in exasperation. 

“Who did you say you were again?” Thomas asked, wondering if he really did forget such a person. 

“Oh, silly me,” the girl tittered, “where are my manners? I’m Lila Rossi, sort of an expert in all things Ladybug. And in case you also didn’t know,” she pulled Adrien closer to herself, “this is Adrien Agreste. He voiced Chat Noir in the movie but he’s also a model for  _ Gabriel.  _ We actually model together.” 

Adrien brought a fist to his mouth and gave a small cough. 

_ Is he covering a smile? _ Thomas thought to himself. Well, he couldn’t blame the boy. This girl obviously didn’t know whose company she was in. Thomas would have also laughed if the thought didn’t make him feel so dejected. 

“Um, Lila,” Adrien politely began, “let me introduce you to Thomas Astruc. Monsieur Astruc is the artistic director of  _ The Adventures of Ladybug and Chat Noir. _ ” He paused.  _ “The Movie.” _

As they all watched the emotions play across Lila’s face, it was the other girl, Marinette’s, turn to try and smother a giggle. She wasn’t as successful as Adrien but at the fury that passed across Lila’s face, she quickly brought the conversation elsewhere. 

“Sir, I never did get to introduce myself to you, which I guess was a little rude at the time. My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I admit, I was a little skeptical when I first watched the trailer because Ladybug and Chat Noir didn’t sound anything like the real heroes. But once I watched the movie, it was actually really good!” 

Thomas laughed good-naturedly. “That’s quite alright. I knew some people would be disappointed that the movie wasn’t an account of true events. That was the point of the disclaimer ‘ _ based _ on Ladybug and Chat Noir.’” He took a moment to discreetly eye Lila. “The script writers and I didn’t want to confine ourselves to real life. We took our artistic license and ran with it, if you will. Especially since we don’t know everything there is to know about the Miraculous or the identities of the main players. Can you imagine Ladybug being scared of cats? Or if Hawkmoth were actually Chat Noir’s dad?” 

Marinette laughed with him at those hypotheticals. Adrien chuckled along a bit more nervously, though Thomas figured the young man was just trying to imagine Gabriel Agreste as a supervillain, considering Adrien voiced the aforementioned hero. Lila had taken on a stoic face, and he guiltily hoped she learned some humility from her embarrassment. 

Then something from earlier clicked in his mind. 

“Did you say your name was Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” 

Marinette stopped laughing and looked at him questioningly. “Yeah, I did.” 

Thomas’s eyes lit up. “So you’re  _ the _ Marinette Dupain-Cheng whose designs are sought after by several celebrities and whose talents caught the attention of one of the biggest film studios in Europe?!” 

Face turning red at the acknowledgement, Marinette nodded timidly. Adrien reached out and put a hand on her shoulder as he smiled proudly. “And those are only some of her accomplishments. I bet she’ll go even further in whatever she does.” His eyes twitched a little when Lila gave a small noise of derision. 

Thomas agreed with the boy. Miss Dupain-Cheng may be a relatively new name running in Parisian circles, especially with the crocodile debacle and zoo fundraiser, but she was proving to be more than just a flash in the pan. If anything, she was gaining more momentum in her fame as time passed, due in part by the recently confirmed rumors of her association with Graham Films. Thomas thought hard. 

The animation studio he previously worked with for the Ladybug movie was offering him a contract for a new animated film. The studio anticipated that the project wouldn’t receive as much attention as the Ladybug movie did, but Thomas acknowledged that it was a given. However, if he could attach some big names to the film, that might be even better promotion than the simple “from the producers of the hit film  _ Ladybug _ !” tagline could provide. Bringing Marinette on board would be a more than stellar start. 

“What is the project that you and Graham Films working on right now?” he questioned, genuinely curious. “And when is post-production? If you don’t have any other film projects lined up, I happen to be gathering a team right now for an original animated film and we would love to work with someone of your talents!” 

Thomas was disappointed to see her shake her head apologetically. 

“I’m sorry, Monsieur Astruc. The movie with Graham Films is a one-time thing since I’m hoping for more fashion-centered work.” Her tone then turned thoughtful. “What kind of movie is yours going to be?” 

“It’ll be a new superhero movie. I’m considering integrating it into the same universe as the Ladybug and Chat Noir movie.” 

Adrien’s eyes lit up. “That sounds really cool! I hope you’ll let me voice Chat Noir again if he and Ladybug make a cameo or maybe even have a sequel!” 

Thomas laughed, appreciative of the boy’s eagerness. The cameo bit wasn’t a bad idea at all. 

“Monsieur Astruc,” Marinette began tentatively, “would you be opposed to taking on other young talent since I won’t be able to?” 

He blinked. “Unless they have an exceptional portfolio and prior experience, I don’t think it would be very likely that they’d be hired. But,” he added when he saw the girl slump, “I’m very open to bringing some interns to the team.” 

Thomas noticed Adrien perk up, looking like he knew exactly what his friend was leading up to. Lila merely turned her head away, seeming to be ignoring the rest of the conversation. 

“I know some people who would love that!” Marinette exclaimed. “And I can speak for their talent in both writing and drawing about superheroes.” 

Intrigued, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to hear her out. 

… 

A week later at the studio, Thomas and his production team stood up from their chairs to shake hands with the young men who they would be taking under their wings as interns. 

“I look forward to working with you two gentlemen,” he said to them. “Your ideas are great and hopefully this internship and stories of my own journey from character doodling to filmmaking can help you get your own comics off the ground.” 

Marc Anciel blushed. Nathaniel Kurtzberg beamed and replied, “I can’t wait to tell Marinette about this. I can’t believe she thought of us when you originally wanted her. I heard she couldn’t accept anyway, but still!” 

“Marinette is always looking out for her friends,” Marc added softly. 

When Thomas formally met Marinette, he recognized her for her fame and her talents. Since then, he began to realize just what a remarkable person she was. And so young too… He briefly pondered how old Ladybug and Chat Noir were. Surely not as young as his movie made them? 

“People like that are hard to find but they do exist. Hold on tight to friendships like this. And remember that even though Marinette might seem amazing all on her own, being her friend means helping her out too.” 

The boys seemed oddly sad (ashamed, in Nathaniel’s case?) for a moment, but Thomas only had a second to wonder about it before they smiled and nodded in agreement. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: Marinette the Superhero


End file.
